SunButter Chocolate Crescent Rolls

I can't wait to share this new recipe with you! When I made these SunButter Chocolate Crescent Rolls, Little Guy gobbled up FOUR of them.  He's my harshest critic, so I knew they were GOOD.  They're perfect for a Christmas morning breakfast treat or a holiday brunch! And of course they're dairyfree, nutfree and eggfree.

Find this new SunButter Chocolate Crescent Roll recipe on the SunButter blog.

Enjoy!

Bite Sized Candy Cane Brownies Recipe

I'm always looking for new allergy friendly dessert ideas, especially for the holidays. Whether it's baking for Little Guy's school holiday party, entertaining guests, or adding some unique and different elements to our usual "cookie plate", I love trying out new dessert options!

Well, what's more holiday than making a dessert with candy canes?

If someone in your family has food allergies like our Little Guy, it's not always so easy to find allergy friendly candy canes at the store. I know I get REALLY excited when I do find them. I also get excited when I find allergy friendly candy canes that are ORGANIC and full of real ingredients! 

That's why I'm happy to have TruJoy Sweets sponsor this post since they make exactly that --- allergy friendly and organic candy canes full of real ingredients. 

So what ARE the ingredients?  

Check out the label below. The ingredients only include things you can actually read and understand, unlike the usual candy canes you find in the store.

I do want to  show the candy cane label for all my food allergy friends too, just so you know all the details. Notice they are made in a facility with other allergens. Please also contact TruJoy with additional questions to make sure you only eat foods that are safe for your family.

So how can you use candy canes in a dessert?

Here's how! Bite Sized Candy Cane Brownies. They're not only vegan and nut free, but also DELICIOUS!

If you use a vegan boxed brownie mix, this is a VERY simple recipe. Ready?

First, just bake the vegan and nut free brownies as directed in a mini muffin tin.

Crush your candy canes in a ziplock bag. 

Then melt the vegan and nut free white chocolate in the microwave.

And drizzle melted chocolate on mini brownies with a spoon.

Sprinkle your crushed candy canes on the warm melted chocolate so they stick and refrigerate until the chocolate hardens.  

VOILA.  

You have beautiful and delicious vegan candy cane brownie bites!

Bite Sized Candy Cane Brownies Recipe

Makes about 30 mini brownie cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 box vegan brownie mix (I used Enjoy Life)
• 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips (I used Pascha) 
• 4 TruJoy Sweets candy canes

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• Bake brownies in lined mini-muffin pans as directed (between 8 - 10 min)
• Crush candy canes in ziplock bag (I used a meat cleaver!)
• Melt white chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between - do not over melt
• Drizzle melted white chocolate with a spoon over cooled brownie bites
• Sprinkle crushed candy canes on melted white chocolate
• Cool finished brownie bites in refrigerator to harden white chocolate

What are you cooking up for the holidays? Any exciting new sweet treats?

Thank you again to TruJoy Sweets for partnering with me on this post!

Grandma Does It Again: Countdown Checklist to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

If you've read Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies, you know that I have a wonderful mom who is an amazing Grandma to our Little Guy with food allergies. Well, Grandma has done it yet again!  She has written a wonderful quick checklist and planning guide for holiday hosting with food allergies. 

Whether you use it as a Thanksgiving Checklist, Christmas Checklist, Hanukkah Checklist or for whatever holiday you celebrate, we hope you find this quick planning checklist helpful!

Grandma's Countdown Checklist to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

by Karen Dalfonso

Grandma needs help!  The family get-togethers are a special challenge because my kitchen needs to be allergy friendly less than 1% of the year and I have a lot of work to do.  This is the season for  balancing 60 years of family tradition, exposure to novel grocery store product items and  recipes, social media entertaining ideas and a desire to make this a memorable SAFE-EATING holiday event for my family!  

This year I’ve decided to add my own allergy friendly planning checklist to my “traditional” holiday meal planning list.  If you are using this checklist, simply cross off items you do not find helpful.

Ten days before:

➤Get updated allergen and safe food list (discuss with person with food allergies or parent of child with food allergies).

➤Plan “simple” appetizers, main dish, side dish, salad and bread.

➤List ingredients needed.  Remember to cross off list when purchased.

➤Find designated space for “safe” items and kitchen gear: Paper plates, paper cups, disposable utensils, place mats any cooking utensils such as knives, pans, colander, measuring cups/spoons, flour, sugar, oats, purchased snack or dessert items.

Seven days before:

➤Buy food staples, freezer, and non-perishable refrigerator items.

➤Wash serving dishes, platters, silverware, glasses.

➤Notify guests you appreciate their offer but your menu will not include “extras” as all food items need to be safe.

Two-Four days before:

➤Clean refrigerator and designate a specific shelf for dairy-free butter/yogurt/milk or other allergy friendly items.

➤Find specific area for safe snacks.

➤Scan shelves and remove allergens from shelves if possible or at least arrange in one place in the kitchen.

➤Clean workspace/countertops.  If possible plan regular meals for the remaining few days that do not contain allergens.

➤Prepare make-ahead dishes. Save all labels of foods for guest with food allergies to read

One day before:

➤Complete make-ahead dishes.

➤Re-read food labels.

Day of dinner:

➤Give labels to guest with food allergies to review.

➤Consider arranging for fixed seating (especially helpful if small children with food allergies will be present).

➤Review menu.

➤Make sure guest knows about safe space in refrigerator, shelves, bin, safe snacks, paper and storage items.

➤Arrange for allergy-friendly plate to be served first along with  “seconds” plate. If serving buffet style, arrange for the guest with food allergies to get food first (and put extra food to the side for seconds).

➤Enjoy your time with your family!

What other items are on your countdown checklist for holiday hosting?

Other posts you might like:

Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

A Food Allergy Friendly Trip to NYC

Last Minute Holiday Recipes

Dairy Free Chocolate Holiday Bark

A Food Allergy Friendly Trip to NYC

We took a fun day trip to New York City a few weeks ago to show the kids all the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. Since we live outside of Philadelphia it only takes about 2 hours to drive to NYC. Great for a day trip. So, we packed some supplies (and you know that means TONS of food allergy friendly food!) and off we went!

This is a photo of all of the food allergy friendly food I packed. I knew it was too much, but I felt better having too much than too little. This was supposed to cover the kids' second breakfast (yes, we have lots of second breakfasts in this house!), multiple snacks in the car, and a possible lunch if we didn't feel it was safe for Little Guy to eat at a restaurant.

We parked at a lot near Rockefeller Center (thanks to the Hubs for driving!), and we walked about a block to see the tree and ice skating rink.  It was PACKED with people, but everyone was in good spirits.

We surprised the kiddos by meeting my parents there (Yes, this includes the famous Grandma who wrote "Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies").

Being together was a great treat for everyone!

Little Guy is VERY into Legos right now as a 5 year old, so despite the long line, we stopped at the Lego store right in Rockefeller Center and bought the kiddos two Lego sets.

Then we had lunch! 

I did research beforehand on AllergyEats to find safe restaurants around Rockefeller Center. I also searched on a few of my favorite allergy related Facebook groups, and I did a general Google search. I called a few different restaurants a few days before and I decided that Bill's Bar & Burger and Del Frisco's Grille would be the best choices in the Rockefeller Center area for Little Guy's food allergies.

The wait at Bill's Bar & Burger was much shorter than at Del Frisco's, so we decided to eat at Bill's!  I have to say, food allergies or not, it was a great place for kids. Here's why:

• It's a large (2 floors), festive restaurant and noisy kids are not an issue!
• The food is very kid-friendly - burgers, sandwiches and salads type meals. Pretty similar to Red Robin or a diner.
• SANTA CLAUSE was there! He was walking around the restaurant talking to all the kids. Their eyes just lit up when they saw him.
• Every kid gets WikiStix to play with while waiting. How genius is that!? They also give kids crayons and a coloring page to pass the time.

I'm always nervous when we go to a new restaurant due to Little Guy's food allergies. It was even more nerve-wracking that day since it was REALLY busy and loud in the restaurant. 

The waitress took awhile to get there, so I actually got up to find a manager first thing to discuss whether they could make safe food for Little Guy.  I gave him our chef card and he assured me they could make a plain hamburger with veggie or fruit. He said to make sure the plate has an allergy stick in it to confirm that it's the allergy-friendly meal.

I was relieved when they brought out a plain burger and side of fruit with the allergy stick in it. Then I gave Little Guy his safe bread to make a sandwich. I was relieved even further when he ate it with no problems!  Phew.

Then we were off to walk up 5th Avenue to Central Park. It was a fun day with lots of festive stores, decorations and potty stops :)

We saw many sparkling Christmas windows...

We had tons of fun in Central park. We watched the horse and carriage riders and the ice skaters glide around the outdoor rink in the park (yes, this is where they skate in the movie Serendipity!)...

We laughed at the seals doing tricks in the Central Park Zoo (which we could see from OUTSIDE the zoo!)...

And we climbed the huge rocks in Central Park for some fun views and extra adventure....

It was a perfect day trip to NYC for a 5 and 3 year old. And the most important part? We came together as a family to enjoy the anticipation of Christmas and get in the spirit!

Have you ever been to NYC at Christmas time? OR if you have food allergies, do you have any other restaurant recommendations?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Mamacado!!

Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

It's Thanksgiving! This is the time of year when we count our blessings. Thankfully, I can count my parents as one of those blessings for many reasons. They offer support and understanding in every part of our lives. This support and understanding includes Little Guy's food allergies. They have always done their best to keep him safe and create an amazing, fun, and food allergy friendly holiday for us at their house. 

My Mom wrote this guest post all on her own - with no prompting from me. As an experienced host of someone with food allergies, she feels passionate about sharing her guide to holiday hosting with food allergies. 

I wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy this helpful post!

By Karen Dalfonso

This will be my fourth year hosting winter family gatherings that include my Grandson (now 5 years old) with multiple food allergies to dairy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame and fin fish.  

I love planning special dinners, and having overnight guests is always a treat. Grilling burgers, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, summer safe-snacks are summer staples. Somehow, my kitchen is adequate for that menu, but the holidays pose special challenges not present during the summer outdoor months. 

Due to the multi-tasking during holidays, it is so easy for mishaps to occur in a kitchen which does not ordinarily follow allergy-friendly guidelines. Converting a kitchen into an allergy-friendly kitchen takes some effort. 

So, I would like to share a few short-cuts and safeguards which I have adopted during the last 4 years since we found out my Grandson has food allergies.  I hope to provide a little confidence for someone who is new at this, especially during the busy family gathering-times of the year.  

Planning:

Spending time planning a menu, getting recipes together and stocking up ahead of time on staples is a rule-of thumb for everyone. It's particularly important for an allergy-safe menu, as there is less room for flexibility.   

In our house, SunButter, soy and coconut milk for baking, Enjoy Life cookies, safe chocolate chips and Wheat Thins are some items I can buy ahead of time.  Freezer items may include some of my Grandson's veggies, sausage, chicken, waffles, coconut non-dairy “ice cream”, etc.   

If I am baking, I try to buy duplicate products which will be set aside and separated from my other kitchen products, to ensure cross-contact with allergens do not accidentally occur. That way, when I begin baking my special allergy friendly-recipe, I have new products. I don’t need to worry about accidental cross-contact with eggs or other allergens.  These items can be stocked on a separate shelf, or in my case, a covered bin.  During the busy times, this planning save so much time and extra trips to the grocery store.  

Storage:

I find storage in a covered bin is great for me.  This way the items, which are not used everyday, stay clean and ready for me to use. In my bin this year, I’ve added measuring cups, measuring spoons, a colander, and brand new containers which have been washed and are in a plastic bags. 

These storage containers can be quickly used to store any item safely and are already washed. I can be sure it has not previously been contaminated with an allergen.  After a year, I absorb the container into my kitchen and buy new products for my “bin”, wash the product, then place in plastic bags.  I also try to use Pyrex or glass when making a bean salad, fruit salad or other item, as I can be sure the bowl is “clean”and does not have traces of an allergen.    

In my bin, I try to also keep cute children’s placemats, drinking cups and plates, although disposable utensils can also be used.  I like to buy disposable silverware in small containers of 24, as I always worry well-meaning guests could place used silverware back in those large packages which seem to last for  “years”.  I feel these little steps are worthwhile in order to be reassured  that the eating surface is safe.

Refrigerator:

As the holiday approaches, a special shelf in the refrigerator helps to separate allergy-friendly items from other items.  I find it helpful to use a container to hold small items such as coconut yogurt, juice boxes, non-dairy butter, etc., which can get “lost” in a holiday refrigerator.  A special shelf or storage area in the kitchen or another room for crackers, cereal, or other items is also helpful.  This helps to avoid “errors” made in a rush. It is also helpful to have snack-size bags made with pretzels, popcorn, or other items that can be quickly grabbed.  Remember, taking snacks from the large “family”  bag always runs the risk of allergens in the product.

Mealtimes:

During any mealtime gathering, be sure to make the allergy-friendly plate first.  If you think there will be “seconds” later,  placed food in storage containers before the rest of the guests take their dinner. I always try to use a placemat on the table, with either disposable silverware or a different pattern of silverware.  That way I can  make sure the item has been properly washed. We tend to shift seats, plates, glasses often during a large gathering so this is a helpful safeguard for me.  Paper products are great to insure everything is clean. For emergency cutting of vegetables, etc., just cut the item inside a ziplock bag if unsure of clean surfaces in the kitchen.  I always use foil or parchment paper for baking or grilling to insure the food is on a safe surface away from any allergens.  

Enjoying family time:

So, next comes the fun part!  The laughter, the memories and the great holiday traditions. One of the best is a cookie plate.  Our cookie plate may look a little different from those in other families, but our cookie plate is packed with love and great times.  If you have time to make one cut-out cookie recipe, one gingerbread recipe, or one favorite sugar cookies, that is really enough!  Pretzels can be dipped in safe-chocolate, dairy-free Rice Krispie treats are always nice, chocolate peppermint candy bark, and Enjoy Life cookies come in lots of flavors. Sharing that special dessert is part of our holiday tradition.  We remember to be thankful for each other and don’t want to miss that special part of sharing!

Grandma making cookies with Little Guy.

You may also be interested in:

My Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Gluten-Free Homemade Stuffing - Tastes like StoveTop!

Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Pretzel Peppermint Bark

Dairy-free Rice Krispie Treats 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

5 Favorite Cookbooks for an Allergy Friendly Thanksgiving

Last minute holiday recipes

Easy Heart Shaped Pancakes for Valentine's Day

OH Valentine's Day. How I love (and DON'T love) thee! 

I try not to make too much fuss about "holidays" like Valentine's Day. There's enough pressure in day to day living! However, I DO want to have a little fun and make sure my kids do too.

So far, we bought good-old valentines for the kiddos to give out at their school. Simple, cheap, cute AND they include NON-FOOD "treats" like pencils and stickers. 

Valentine's Day is such a candy and treat-focused time which makes it challenging for kids with food allergies. Non-food treats are an awesome way to celebrate the day and still show friends you care. Aww.

Oh, and parents of kids with food allergies REALLY appreciate those non food treats too.

On the other hand, it's also fun to have food allergy-friendly recipes and ideas in your back pocket for days like this.  I have a set of heart shaped cookie cutters like these (affiliate) that I'll use on Valentine's day to have fun with sandwiches, fruit, cheese, etc, etc!). 

We're also going to have our favorite Vegan Pumpkin pancakes to start the day with a special treat. I already cooked and froze them ahead of time so I can just pull them out of the freezer on Vday. 

It's so easy to make this beautiful plate. Just cut a triangle out of the top of halved strawberries, and sprinkle shredded coconut and dairy-free chocolate chips and enjoy!

I used this tin foil mold idea to make heart shaped molds for the pancakes. It was simple and easy to make and it took about 5 minutes total!  

How do you do it?

• Basically, just fold a long piece of tinfoil the "hotdog" or long way, and wrap it around a heart shaped cookie cutter.  
• Take out the cookie cutter from the foil, and adjust the tinfoil as needed to make a more perfect heart.
• Spray the inside of the tinfoil with oil of your choice. I used olive oil in my Misto Sprayer (affiliate).
• Put the tinfoil heart mold on an already heated pan and pour in your pancake batter.
• Once the pancake is done on one side, carefully peel off the tinfoil and flip the pancake as usual to finish cooking.

This photo is about 2 pancakes later. The molds are still ready to shape a pancake!

Tips: 

• Don't plan on making 20 pancakes with this tinfoil mold unless you have lots of time. I successfully used each one for about 3 pancakes (and made the rest of my pancakes the traditional way!). 
• After each pancake I wiped off some of the pancake batter that stuck onto the tinfoil mold.
• Make sure to spray the inside of the mold every time before you use it so the batter doesn't stick. 

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? There are SO many creative ideas out there (on Pinterest for instance!). 

What's your favorite?

!

Merry Christmas Fun with Last Minute Recipes

This holiday season has been busier than ever (and I know it has for you too!). Between caring for sick kids (daycare germs have attacked our family!), working full time and trying to prep for the holidays, my "to do" list is at max capacity!

But we've had fun in between everything.  And of course we're trying to appreciate and recognize the reason for the season.

What fun have we had?

Well, we went to a brunch with Santa a few weekends ago to start. Even though it was a buffet style brunch, the restaurant made a safe food allergy friendly meal especially for Little Guy. I felt like we were in Disney World as I've heard you receive the same type of amazing service there!

I also brought some safe muffins to complement this protein and fruit focused meal!

Little Guy enjoyed it!

Thankfully Grandma made Christmas cookies with the kiddos. Can you believe I haven't baked ONE SINGLE cookie this holiday season!?  Yikes!

I did take the time to make chocolate dipped...ummm...EVERYTHING this past weekend. We had some pretzels and chocolate to use up. So we just melted dairy free Enjoy Life Chocolate chips and dipped them in chocolate and sprinkles. We cut a banana and dipped it too.  Yum.

We have some after holiday parties to attend this season, so I'm hoping to make a few desserts and/or sides for those events. Lately I've been down to the wire and making everything the night before/day of the event.  So, if you're like me and looking for last-minute holiday recipe ideas, here are few oldies but goodies that you might like!

Egg Free Italian Meatballs

Healthy Three-Bean Salad

Cranberry Salad

Warm Roasted Veggies

Chocolate Pretzel Peppermint Bark

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Holiday Giveaway for a Little Gal in Your Life

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with food, family and FUN! We actually cancelled Thanksgiving at our house this year due to ongoing colds and coughs. So we're now really looking forward to the upcoming holiday season. We hope it will be happy and HEALTHY!!

Speaking of the holidays, are you ready for a fun holiday giveaway? If you have a little gal in your life, she's going to love this one.

CVS and CHARM-IT! were so kind to take part in this fun holiday giveaway.

I don't know about you, but my kids are STILL into Frozen. My Little Gal would watch it every day if she could. CVS has a bunch of fun Frozen themed gifts perfect for Christmas and the holidays. They kindly sent Little Gal these two fun Frozen toys, and we can't wait to give them to her on Christmas!

CVS is kindly offering the Color N' Style purse at the top of the photo as a giveaway for a little gal in YOUR life!

Next time you shop at CVS, make sure to stop by the ExtraCare Coupon Center when you first visit your local CVS to get deals you can use that day. 

And what do you think of this fun bracelet? It's full of cute and playful charms with inspirational messages too!

CHARM-IT! is now offering its detachable charm jewelry bracelet collection at GapKids. You can win this fun bracelet by just entering this holiday giveaway.

CHARM IT! is a favorite among celebrity moms, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Heidi Klum.You can find CHARM IT! products at independent specialty retailers and premium department stores including GapKids. 

Please enter this fun holiday giveaway today!!

Entry-Form

Thanks to CVS and CHARM-IT! for the holiday giveaway items shown in this post. All opinions are my own.

A Sweet Christmas

We had a SWEET Christmas. How about you?  It was not only sweet because I got to spend time and connect with my little loves and family (and disconnect from my computer), but also because we had LOTS of sweet treats. Especially sweet treats that are food allergy-friendly for Little Guy.

Here's our fun cookie plate. Filled with Chocolate Pretzel Peppermint Bark, tasty cookies made with Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, and gingerbread men made from a recipe from Speedbump Kitchen. We also had homemade apple pie and coconut vanilla ice cream which I didn't photograph.

*Note that Little Guy is now eating wheat after passing his food challenge. The gingerbread men are made with wheat flour! Thankfully he seems to be okay with it, but we are still giving him some gluten-free food as we navigate this whole new world of wheat!

The best part of having all food allergy-friendly treats for Little Guy? His joy in passing out dessert to everyone at Grandma and Pops' house!

Little Guy also loved making my birthday cake! My Mom actually made the chocolate gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free birthday cakes a few days before my birthday. She froze the two cakes, and then left them out on the counter to defrost right before Little Guy iced them. The cake was delicious.

We of course not only ate sweets, but had some wonderful food-allergy friendly meals thanks to Grandma!! I snapped a few quick photos before the food was devoured!

Hoping you had a wonderful holiday and are ready to have a wonderful New Year!!

What was your favorite treat this holiday!?